The Greatest football teams of all time - Brazil 1970 World Cup Team
Brazil 1970: The greatest Brazilian national team of all-time?
The 1970 Brazil national team has been called the best Brazilian side of all-time.
Although it wasn't the samba, smooth playing side of 1982, the 1970 World Cup winning team was still a stylish team full of iconic players. It is this team that everyone thinks of when the World Cup comes around and holds modern Selecao sides up to.
Drew Farmer takes a look at this iconic team, without doubt, one of the greatest football teams to have played the game.
The Build-up to the 1970 World Cup - Enter Mario Zagallo
Brazil had won the 1958 and 1962 World Cup tournaments with legendary star Pele playing a key role in each competition. The 1958 edition was the coming out party for a teenage Pele, but four years later, he battled injury preventing him from reaching the same heights. By the time the 1970 edition of the World Cup came around, Pele was nearing the end of his career, although he would go on to play in the United States until 1977.
The Brazilian national team of 1970 was not just Pele, however. Other greats included captain Carlos Alberto, Jairzinho, and Tostao. Under the leadership of manager Mario Zagallo, Brazil would storm to the World Cup Finals winning all of their qualifying matches.
Mario Zagallo
Yet, there were issues during qualifying. Prior to Zagallo’s arrival, Joao Saldanha was in charge of the Selecao and ran afoul of the powers that be in Brazil, most notably the country’s dictator.
Saldanha refused to pair his two best-attacking players, Pele and Tostao, as well as field other stars in the same team. Brazil president Emílio Garrastazu Médici didn’t care for Saldanha’s management and stepped in to fire him. Zagallo, who played for the Brazilian World Cup winning teams of 1958 and 1962, took control of the squad as manager.
Zagallo altered the team’s formation and tactics. In an attempt to get all of his best players on the pitch at once, Zagallo deployed the Selecao in 4-2-4 formation. It was the same formation the Selecao used in 1962 that Zagallo had enjoyed so much success in.
Although Zagallo was able to accommodate his star players and get them into the team, it wasn’t easy. He had five playmakers all with the desire to be the traditional No. 10. It made the 4-2-4 formation even more appropriate allowing Brazil to accentuate the positives and negate the negatives.
Pele and Tostao were deployed as the team’s strike partnership with the former able to drop deep and work as a playmaker. It was the classic No. 10 that many football fans associate with Pele, pulling the strings and dictating the pace of games.
Mexico ‘70 - The Road to the World Cup Trophy
Brazil was at the World Cup but the road to the tournament final in Mexico wasn’t easy to navigate. The Selecao were drawn in a difficult group with 1966 winners England, Romania, and Czechoslovakia.
The team’s first match against Czechoslovakia didn’t start well going down a goal after 11 minutes. Rivellino’s free-kick 13 minutes later went into the back of the net and after ending the first half level, Brazil came to life in the second period. Pele, one of the greatest Brazilian footballers of all-time, scored a sensational volley just before the hour-mark and Jairzinho added a third just minutes later. Jairzinho added another seven minutes from time to give the Selecao a 4-1 win.
Pele & Jairzinho at the 1970 World Cup
England was up next on June 7 and they too would fall. The defending World Cup winners put in a strong performance repelling Brazil time and again thanks to Gordon Banks’ excellent play in goal. With Pele pulling the strings and dropping into midfield, however, Brazil made a breakthrough on the 59-minute mark thanks to Jairzinho for a narrow 1-0 win.
In the final group stage game, Zagallo rested players knowing that progression would be secured with a draw. After going up 2-0 thanks to goals from Pele and Jairzinho, Romania pulled one back to make things interesting. Pele’s second gave Brazil a two-goal advantage once more.
The end was nervy, however, as Romania’s Emerich Dembrovschi scored in the 84th minute. In the end, Brazil held on for a 3-2 win to progress as group winners with a perfect 3W-0D-0L.
Peru was up next in the quarterfinals after the team finished behind West Germany in its group. The Selecao continued their brilliant form against Peru, scoring twice in the opening quarter of an hour. Rivellino and Tostao both found the back of the net taking turns setting up the other.
In spite of a goalkeeper error by Felix, Pele set up Tostao for Brazil’s third. Brazil once again faced a nervy ending as Teofilo Cubillas pulled a goal back for Peru. With 15 minutes left, Jairzinho once again stepped up to seal the Brazilians’ fate and put them in the semifinals with a 4-2 victory.
Mexico 1970 - The Semi-Finals
Brazil faced off with another South American team in the semifinals as Uruguay arrived in Guadalajara. The two teams met in the 1950 World Cup Final at the Maracana with Uruguay coming away winners.
From then on, Brazilian fans have been deathly afraid of Uruguay when meeting on the international stage. Fears of losing to Uruguay were increased after 19 minutes when Luis Cubillo scored for La Celeste. Just before halftime, Brazil battled back through Clodoaldo, whose thunderous strike levelled the scores.
The Selecao would take the lead after halftime as Pele, dropping deep into midfield, began the attack passing the ball to Tostao who played Jairzinho down the flank. His strike past Uruguay’s goalkeeper gave Brazil a 2-1 lead. Rivellino scored a third to send Brazil into the final against Italy four days later.
Brazil Vs Italy - The 1970 World Cup Final
Italy’s national team was at an all-time high, but coming off of an extra-time thriller against West Germany, was highly fatigued and it took just 18 minutes for Pele to open the scoring. Italy did get back into the game thanks to a goal on 37 minutes from Roberto Boninsegna. From there, it was all Brazil, however. Gerson fired a left-footed shot home from distance on 66 minutes.
Jairzinho soon found the back of the net once more after Pele nodded down a cross into his path. The goal gave him seven in the World Cup tournament. Although it was still only good for second behind West Germany’s Gerd Mueller, Jairzinho did score in each of Brazil’s games at the tournament.
Brazil’s final goal came from captain Carlos Alberto who found the back of the net after Pele’s pass played him in on goal. The captain’s strike finished off the win, 4-1, giving Brazil its third World Cup trophy.
The Brazilians went another 24 years before winning the World Cup again. It wouldn’t be until 1994 that the team lifted the trophy. The 1970 side is one of the most remembered in football history and still the side the current Selecao is compared to every four years.
The beautiful game played at its finest, by perhaps its greatest team.
The captain of Brazil's 1970 FIFA World Cup team, Carlos Alberto, remembers the brilliant Selecao side of Pele, Tostao and Jairzinho.
